While initially everyone was reluctant to interact with their foreign counterparts, an intense speed dating style icebreaker helped warm everyone up to each other. After the ice breaker we continued on to a room with snacks for a break, which turned into an impromptu interschool mannequin challenge. After that we moved on to a play a treasure hunt game in small mixed groups. When the program was over we continued to informally talk and get to know each other while exchanging ideas and practicing foreign languages. It turned out to be an excellent cultural and personal experience with our Israeli brethren.
After that we went to the Azrielli Mall in Tel Aviv for a "working" lunch to fine tune our startup pitch to the Zell students. We had a contest in which we pitched our startup ideas that we had been planning for the past week to the Zell entrepreneurial students at IDC University . We had a "Shark Tank" set up and pitched our startup to the mock investors to invest in our company. There were many fantastic ideas, like the gyro toothbrush, the hydrological energy system, and many more. After each company had presented their ideas to the panel, the panel voted on the winner of best pitch and product. It was a great experience!
We then enjoyed a full Thanksgiving dinner with Eytan Buchman, Director of Marketing at Freightos, to discuss co-existence and how it affects the Israeli Startup Nation. Rabbi Dr. Raymond Harari also joined us for the festive meal. ~Jack Zeitouny and Jack Dweck, Class of 2019